Andariel Ingridsen
“There’s power in stories. That’s all history is: the best tales. The ones that last. Might as well be mine.” Andariel Ingridsen is a half elf warrior and Jarl of the town of Skovby in Vylkland. Once a travelling writer, Andariel found his way to the Weft after he was implicated in a Fraelite slave revolt. Andariel serves the Gods as part of the Camp of Light in Guardian Vale, leading his own smaller faction, The Pride of Skovby. Background Andariel was born in the village of Ostergaard. His father, Tzadkys Beltashar, was an exile elven spy, who fell in love with his mother, the renowned shield maiden Ingrid Skovgard. As huscarl to Jarl Voland, Ingrid was able to keep her husbands location a relative secret from his former handlers, thanks to the Jarl's support. Eventually Tzadkys himself would become a trusted advisor and friend to the Jarl. Andariel learned the art of the storyteller, first from his father's accounts of Ingrid's many battles, and later in the court of the Jarl under the tutelage of his court skalds. At age fourteen, Andariel's parents were found and killed by Tzadkys' handlers. Jarl Voland ordered a retaliatory raid on the Sindorien faction responsible. Andariel was by then a capable warrior in his own right thanks to his mother's training, and was invited to join Voland's warband. The elves were tracked down to a small fortress away from Sindorien using information Tzadkys had earlier provided to the Jarl, and slaughtered. Andariel earned the respect of the Jarl and other warriors by his own efforts in the battle, and was seen as a potential huscarl himself. However the battle did nothing to ease his pain. Andariel was haunted by the lives he took and found himself imagining their own children suffering as he did. He resolved instead to break the chains of violence and hate the only way he could think of. Of Loss and Anger Andariel completed his training as a skald and left Ostergaard. He began travelling Vylkland, lost both inside and out. At age nineteen he encountered Hjera, a jarl so devoted to Kree that she made no attempt to heal her wounds, or look after her health. "Kree will take me when it is time, and no sooner. Why would I bother trying to prevent his arrival?" she would often say. Hjera offered Andariel power, and her help in finding his place in the world. The reality was something not entirely different, but worse. Andariel rarely speaks about the year that followed, and never writes of it. Hjera subjected him to a range of drugs in order to bring out a latent, primal anger in him: the state of the berserker. The year, or what he remembers of it, was spent craving blood and battle Salvation Change came for Andariel with his first defeat. Jarl Hjera's forces were defeated by another, and in her retreat Andariel was left behind and surrounded. Hjera's enemy, another Jarl by the name of Torstig, had his forces restrain and capture Andariel rather than slay him. Torstig took Andariel under his wing, after he had sobered up. One of his Huscarls trained him in combat, while Torstig taught him the art of the Game. Andariel began to flourish in both fields, passing the tests he was presented by the Jarl. The final test came in the form of a 'threat' to Torstig. Eadwulf Andersen, a bard and assassin, challenged him in the Jarls court. Over the period of two months they danced around each other, slowly growing closer as Andariel planned and counterplanned his every plot. By the time Andariel was ready to leave he had figured out that Eadwulf was no threat but merely a test, an ally of Torstig posing as a foe. The two became fast friends, and as they travelled together, lovers. The pair travelled Vylkland as Andariel recorded the stories of its people, always leaving Eadwulf left out (at his request). The Road Ahead After a few years of travel, having made plenty of friends and filling many notebooks, he made his way to Thaedia and the city of Solaria in the hopes of publishing his travels. Once compiled and edited, his journal was published. People and Legends of Vylkland ''was a success in Vylkand and Thaedia, and granted Andariel a decent amount of wealth, after the collegia that published him took their cut. Andariel wound up spending a few years in Thaedia, promoting his writing and giving talks at the collegia. During his years in Solaria Andariel began writing his second book, ''Lives in Exile, a collection of stories told to him by the various exiles and expatriates in Solaria. The book was published, and though it was not as popular as his first work, it received critical success in various collegias. Eventually Andariel grew tired of Solaria, seeing that his writing while successful, did nothing to sway the minds of his readers away from hate and revenge. Andariel left Solaria, with the intent of seeing more of the world. He would start by travelling back to Vylkland to seek advice from an old friend, Jarl Torstig, who had a major presence in his first book. From the Jarl's port of Skovby he would travel to Frael, recording the stories of the people he encountered on his travels. The journey by sea was a long one,which Andariel spent clinging to the hope that he would find the story he was meant to tell. Andariel had not even spent a day in Frael after his arrival in Maphotepsis before he was forced to leave. Poor timing and a curious mind had him caught up in the Order of the Sun's operation to free the city's slaves. Luck, good and bad in equal measure it would seem, had him meet another half elf, Audrey Lorém, who both dragged him into the affair and helped him escape. Andariel decided that the story of this former slave and her chaotic desire to do right by those in need was the story he was supposed to write. The two form a bond as they travel, despite disagreement regarding Audrey's recklessness and her tendency to place them both at risk. Andariel holds the utmost respect for Audrey and is grateful for the new adventure life has taken him on, despite his frequent complaints. On their way out of Frael the pair passed through a border town with a large slave population. Despite weariness from a week of harsh travel, Audrey decides to free the towns slaves after the two see a guard murder a resting slave. Unable to argue in such circumstances Andariel finds himself once more drawn into the conflict. As Audrey runs off to kill the slave master (and any guards in her path), Andariel takes the time to speak to one slave, a young half-elf who witnessed the first slaves death. The slave, who in the abscence of a name would be referred to as kid, had clearly been through a lot despite his young age. With Audrey off Gods know where, Andariel promised to help the kid out after they got out of the town alive. Audrey and Andariel succeed in liberating the slaves of the town and the three set off on their way to Vylkland, passing the the Weft on their way. Personality Neutral good. Andariel can be seen as earnest but practical, possessing goodwill and a desire to bring out the best in people through his writing tempered with a practical approach to life. Life in the Weft forced Andariel to fall back on political tricks and secrecy to look after those he cares for. Playing the political game and seeing the success it brought, has given Andariel a taste for power and ambition for more. Time, and his ascendency to Jarldom, forced the mantle of leadership onto Andariel. He leads the Pride has an army and family in equal measures, doing his best to be inspiring, stern, and nurturing. Religon Andariel is a devotee to Voy'himloc, though his approach to such faith differs from common practice. In writing People and Legends of Vylkland, he concludes his tale with a passionate reaffirmation of his faith. Knowledge takes many forms, be it an understanding of the world around you or just listening to the stories others have to tell. Andariel’s faith in Voy’himloc rejected the secrecy of the priesthood, claiming stories and knowledge exist to be discovered and shared. Secrets led to the death of his parents and the end of their stories. Andariel accepts that his position makes him a pariah in certain circles, but clings to the hope that one day people will feel comfortable enough to share their stories and knowledge freely. Andariel was cast out of the Stranger's graces for a period of time. A holy sword was traded for the return of Hrafn's soul, and Andariel was disgraced by his god. In time Andariel was able to return to Voy'himloc's graces and while he still places value in people over piety, his faith to the god of knowledge and secrets has become a weapon. Life in the Weft 647MR Andariel arrived in Guardian Vale with Audrey Lorem and a yet to be named ex-slave. The three aligned themselves immediately with the Camp of Light under the enigmatic Janus. The ex-slave was given a name, Hrafn, and the three formed a secretive faction, the Blue Lotus. A strange tablet of ruinous power was destroyed, but in the process Hrafn fell to shadow. This loss was felt keenly by Andariel, as Hrafn had become a son to him. The Camp of Light clashed with their enemies, Hrafn now among them, eventually losing Janus to unknown causes. In his absence, Andariel would rise to the position of Herald of Light, a diplomat serving alongside a Defender and Oracle. The three, once followers were forced into the position of leader. A demon possessed Hrafn was freed, and embraced back into Light as a repentant son, though the demon's wiles had cost Light Camp their Defender. In his absence this position would fall onto Andariel. In time, a new sentinel, Haruki would appear, allowing Andariel a chance to step down. Andariel was named Jarl of Skovby in the will of the previous Jarl, his old mentor Torstig. Eadwulf ruled in his absence. Gideon killed Hrafn, as he had become a Loci for the Weft's magic, and the suppressed berserker within Andariel was released. Though death proved to be a temporary affliction, the two decided it was time to step back from their battles in the Vale. Hrafn joined the Tavern Guard, defending the agenda of his tutor Jo'v, and Andariel returned to Skovby, this time as Jarl. 648MR For Andariel, the year 648 was divided between the Vale and Skovby in close to equal measure. In Skovby, he celebrated marriage to Eadwulf, and the birth of thier daughter Ingrid. Close to the end of Rime, Andariel returned to the Vale in force. Celebrating the birth of thier daughter, Andariel and Eadwulf led a raid against the forces of Shadow, and others who had wronged them. A stolen ship was burnt, a torturer captured, and relics lost and gained. Now back in the Vale, Andariel set his mind to a new project: The Pride of Skovby. Hrafn returned to Light after the Tavern Guard proved to be more trouble than it was worth, and was welcomed into the Pride as Andariel's second. Between Eadwulf, Andariel, Hrafn, and the Huskarl Fjorin, the Pride swelled and became a solid fighting force. The year ended with the Pride displaying their full force alongside the Camp of Light. The forces of the Tavern and Shadow were battered before the numbers and organisation of Light, but it was all for naught when Gideon was able to capture and kill the Sentinel Haruki. 649MR Andariel has continued to focus on building up his Pride as a force to be reckoned with, through recruitment of new trusted faces, and close ties with other groups such as the Agrarian Brotherhood. After a brief period where his elven blood left him open to the magic of an ancient elf spirit, Andariel doubled his efforts to protecthis family and friends. Eadwulf, pregnant with another child, left for Skovby. By all accounts the Jarl of Skovby is running on Adrenaline and naught else, but he's running nonetheless. Relationships Eadwulf Andersen Andariel's husband, and the love of his life. After eight years apart their bond was reaffirmed in 647. The two married the following year and have since brought a daughter into the world. Eadwulf serves as second in command of the Pride, as well as Andariel's spymaster. Outside of their official duties, the two serve as moral compasses for each other, reigning in the worst of their Vylkish blood. Andariel's elven blood leaves him prone to bouts of melancholy in his husband's absence. The two would go to the ends of Geth for the other, and together are a force to be reckoned with as they strive to raise a family of blood and bonds that will usher in a new era for Vylkland. Hrafn Arielsen A son to Andariel, not by blood but bond. After freeing Hrafn from slavery, and giving him his name, the two formed a father son bond which, when Hrafn fell to Gideon's words, was not broken but twisted into Hrafn's projection of hatred onto his father figure. Nonetheless, Andariel never gave up on Hrafn, always the first and loudest voice to believe in him. Back in Light, Andariel and Hrafn's relationship remained as that of father and son, but now Hrafn was placed on a more equal footing. Andariel trusts Hrafn to support him, and lead the Pride should he and Eadwulf be absent. The two have each others back, something not likely to change in the years to come. The Pride of Skovby Too numerous to write about individually, nonetheless every person who wears the sash marking them as on of his Pride is like family to Andariel. (I'll add more when it's not late) Andariel's Journal = Weftward bound You can taste the disappointment in our camp. It tastes of whatever disgusting albeit healing plants Hrafn put in the tea he made. We all have our wounds to lick after this defeat, though in truth I’m still not sure what it is we lost. I suppose what’s more important is that the agents of the Nine possess it, whatever it is. Mercenaries, Stranger damn them if I ever work with them again. You’d think the servants of demons or Kree’s fanatics would be the ones to watch but at least they’re open in their interests. In a battle of secrets and deceit those who lurk in Tavern Town could give Voy’himloc’s most devout a run for their money. We had the hill and a strong line of shields to guard it and yet somehow we were caught off guard when the sell-swords decided they were our enemies, again. What’s more was their lax attitude towards prisoners. I’m no stranger to battle, I know prisoners of war are a part of battle, but does that make it easier to accept? Does it make it any easier to watch as a former slave is put in chains again, or as they insist that one must be taken as collateral? I am no hero, that role is Audrey’s. I am just the quill and paper here to record her deeds. But that does not mean I will passively watch my friends put in shackles. I have a shield, and if its only purpose is to stand between Audrey or Hrafn and chains then I will put my all into doing so. Audrey is hurting after today. The loss, her being taken prisoner, all of it is looking to leave a scar. She blames herself; you can see the guilt on her face. The gold given to the mercenaries, Hrafn’s capture and her own, the loss of whatever rested on the hill, all of it weighs down on her. She’s off on patrol now; perhaps to find some quiet to collect herself, perhaps to plan retaliation. I hope in time she realises she’s not alone in guilt. We were all “taken for a ride” as she put it. It was not her shield alone in battle, defeat rests on our shoulders as it does hers. It’s the kid that worries me the most. He’s too trusting, despite everything. The mercenaries took him prisoner, and he still called them friend. Not to mention his time in the camp of shadows. The elf too, despite their apparent shared blood, unsettles me. Just the sight of her pushed him over the edge. No one should hold sway over someone’s mind like that. All these interests are pushing and pulling him around and that makes it hard to protect him. Audrey is losing patience it seems, but I can’t. I said I would help him and that is what I will do. Still, he came back, and while he shouldn’t have had to, he bought Audrey from her captors. I just worry that kind words will hide daggers from him. In any case I cannot complain too much. Hrafn is a good name, Audrey has done well and the kid seems happy with it. The elf too may be a welcome help. Hafthór is a valiant warrior, though it remains to be seen how true the tales he tells of himself are. Regardless, His shield is welcome and trustworthy company. The weft it seems holds many stories, more so than what I could have hoped to tell in Maphotepsis. I think I’ll stick around for a while. The Tablet of Night For a supposedly victorious camp, the scene behind me appears dismal. And rightly so. The tablet was destroyed but it feels as though none present truly won on this day, except perhaps Janus and the ever enigmatic Jo’v. Audrey has brought me along to the latter’s domain. Tavern Town surrounds us, friends and enemies sit around eating the meals Jo’v has provided for them. Hrafn is nowhere to be seen, and I worry about how relieving that is. Hrafn betrayed us; he has forsaken his God and abandoned Audrey and I. It was supposed to be a hostage situation, a brief imprisonment in the camp of shadows before he escaped or was set free. Now instead, he’s gone, tied to a new master despite all we did to free him. Gods, I still remember how Audrey cried hearing the news he had offered himself up as a prisoner. I told her I couldn’t stop him and it meant nothing. I don’t blame her. They are both as stubborn as the other truth be told. The kid's insistence on going to shadow as hostage perfectly mirrored Audrey's will to prevail. And yet she cried, the loud and chaotic shield dropped and I saw her hurt. All of it my fault. I can’t do this without her; I would be a fool if I ever thought so. I tried to play the leader today, the hero rather than the scribe, and now all the consequences are mine to accept. Audrey is the hero of this story, I’ve said as much in the past and it remains as true now as ever. Hrafn’s turn has shaken her, but rather than wallow in the mistakes of today or point fingers she’s launched into study. Which of course means I have launched, or more aptly been dragged into study. A mound of scrolls and tomes lie around the table as we hunt for anything that can at least loosen the chains that shackle Hrafn once more. I have let Audrey down enough; I will not do so again. No one, not even someone as strong as her should have to carry the hurt she showed today. Hafthor seems to hate me, and I can't blame him. I couldn't stop the kid leaving; that he was left to be corrupted by shadow is on me. Perhaps the only person he bears more resentment towards at this stage is Janus. Janus who would sacrifice those loyal to him to attain his goals. The Gods will smile on him of course, after all the tablet was destroyed, but I wonder how many in our camp will still trust him. I want to blame him, if he did not agree to the terms set by shadow none of this would have gone so horribly wrong. But the guilt is my own and I will not palm it off on others. Audrey is trying to get my attention, presumably to find out if I have some inkling of a plan to bring Hrafn back. I should respond, tell her that I’ve failed yet again today. But I can’t. I can’t look at her and tell her that I’ve let her down. I’ve put so much pressure on her, calling her the hero, expecting her to save the day. It’s unfair to her. I am no hero; I’m just the son of a great shield maiden and an Elven storyteller trying to do well by the people around him. Even so, I cannot live my life waiting on others to fix my mistakes. I will bring him back. I told him I would help, I gave him my word and I won’t let him down. I have to set this right.